Mutsumi! I Choose You!
by SkyWorm
Summary: Haruka ropes Keitaro into representing Hinataso as a pokemon trainer, pitting the Hinataso girls in noholdsbarred combat against the girls from Kanon a dramatic 1999 love game, now an anime, which I strongly suspect Akamatsu has played.


MUTSUMI! I CHOOSE YOU!

by SkyWorm

based on characters and situations which are the creations and properties of Ken AKAMATSU, Key, and... whoever owns the rights to _Pokemon_...

            "MUTSUMI!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            (Yes, you have to hear that scream again.  And again.)

            "MUTSUMI!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            "MUTSUMI!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            (Well, no, he really only said it once... but you could say it echoed in your ears...)

            Naru looked visibly shaken.

            (Or Naru's...)

            In fact, she was almost shaking.  She didn't know why the tears were starting to push out of her tear ducts but she knew she didn't want them to and what should she do? hurt Keitaro? but this wasn't the time and what the

            This story harks back to a time considerably before, that morning, when Haruka approached Keitaro with the words (Oh, of course it does.  Aren't you all dead sick of this device?  I know I) Shut up.  –Nonononono.  I mean, what she said was:

            "Keitaro?  Are you interested in being a pokemon trainer?"

            "......  What?"

            "You heard me."

            "Eh... heh..."

            "Hm."  Haruka tossed her cigarette, pulled out another, and looked at it in seeming reflection as she held her lighter up to it.  "Fine.  Stick to your photo sticker booths.  Maybe Kentaro will be more willing."

            "Eh… no, that's not it…  _Pokemon_ trainer?

            Haruka nodded.

            "……  What do you want me to do?"

            Haruka took a puff and looked at the sky contemplatively.  "Well, it seems we can make some money for Hinataso if our tenants can win a pokemon battle against another group."

            Keitaro waited for further explanation.

            "So," Haruka explained, "you're going to have balls, and Hinataso girls, and…"

            "Ehhh?" Keitaro blushed.

            Haruka looked at him, then knocked him over the head.  "I see you've been playing too many love sims.  I mean, you're going to have these balls, see.  And you're going to put the tenants into them."

            Haruka looked back at a face flushed and hyperventilating and was forced to give it a more forceful shock.

            "And you're going to going to take a ball," she said, demonstrating with a rock, "and throw it, like this, and yell, 'I choose you, Mutsumi!'"

            Haruka looked down at Keitaro.  "Well, actually, you're not supposed to hit anyone with the ball in the real thing."  She started away.  "Think about it."

            "WHAAAAT?!"

            But, since the one explaining (Haruka) was someone other than Keitaro, Naru eventually saw the logic behind the idea.

            "Yes, yes…  I suppose that's reasonable…"

            "Yayyyyy!"  (Su.)

            "WHAAT?!"

            "And then Keitaro is going to pick you up, and he'll release you from the ball…"

            Shinobu seemed slightly calmed and darker.

            "…and he'll tell you what to do…"

            Shinobu looked away and made as if naturally obscuring her face.

            Everything after that Haruka said was lost until she asked for the second time, "Shinobu?"

            "Y- yes."

            "All right then."

            Haruka walked out.

            "Wh- what?!"

            "WHAAAT?!"

            "And if we'll win, we'll get money, and we'll have some drinks to celebrate."

            "Well…"

            "The prize is 100,000 yen [about $1000].  We can probably set aside a tenth to booze."

            "Hm…"  Kitsune rubbed her chin and smiled.

            "Huh?!"

            Haruka explained further.

            "I see," Motoko grimaced.  "I will discharge my duty."

            "Much obliged," Haruka called back as she left.

            It was the morning of the match.  The girls had, with some bemusement and misgiving, gotten into their pokeballs as Haruka instructed them.  Haruka and Keitaro bundled up and rolled them outside.

            Hearing the muffled squealing, yelling, and cheering audible uniquely from each ball as it rolled, Keitaro looked at Haruka with concern.  She looked at him nonchalantly and puffed her cigarette.  Keitaro started to open his mouth, but the seriousness of Haruka's _expression somehow told him that this was a task it wasn't his place to question.

            Soon all five pokeballs were lying on the snow outside Hinataso and Haruka and Keitaro were standing, waiting for their competition.

            "So who are these people we're playing against?" asked Keitaro.

            "Oh, look.  It looks like they're here."

            From the corner were approaching a pretty woman with long, neat purple hair who looked a little younger than Haruka and a brown-haired boy who looked high school age, the woman rolling a pokeball before her, the boy, as it appeared as he rounded the corner, towing four behind him by the middle of a rope, in front of him, pulling a long, wide strip that rolled the pokeballs.  He looked fairly exhausted, yet was smiling.

            "I told you we didn't have to bring all of them at once," said the woman

            "Eheheh, it's all right.  A little exercise won't hurt me."

            "Good morning!" the woman addressed Haruka and Keitaro.  "Is this Hinataso?"

            "Yes," answered Haruka.  "It's the morning for our pokemon battle."

            "So it is," the woman answered, putting the tips of her fingers to her face.  "My, it's certainly come faster than I expected.  To tell you the truth, I almost forgot about it this morning.  It's lucky we have Yuichi in the house now."

            "Heheh," smiled Yuichi.

            "Keitaro," said Haruka, thumping one hand on his back and gesturing towards the woman with the other, "this is your opponent, MINASE Akiko."

            "You may call me Akiko if you like."

--MINASE Akiko--

A beginner pokemon trainer.  Mother, no known husband.  Gentle, mild, unhurried.  Skilled at cooking and baking; the ideal homemaker.

            "Ah, pleased to meet you," Keitaro said with a bow, scratching the back of his head.

            "The pleasure is mine."

            "Oh, no, it's def… eh… eheh… good morning, I mean."

            "This is my nephew, Keitaro," said Haruka.

            "Ah, this is my nephew, Yuichi."

            "Pleased to meet you," Yuichi said with a slight bow.  Keitaro did the same.

            _So I'm going against his aunt?_ Keitaro thought.  _Why isn't Haruka…?_

            "Well then, let's get started," Haruka said with a gentle smile, clapping her hands together and rubbing them as she walked away from Akiko.

            "Eh… heh…?"  Keitaro felt somewhat nervous.

            "Remember what you learned," Haruka called back before she went back into the relative warmth of Hinataso.  Then she opened the door one more time to call out, "Staaart!"

            Keitaro was in too much of a panic to hear it slamming shut again.  This was time to start, to call out, "I choose you," something, and throw a pokeball… was this some sort of joke?  How had he gotten roped into this?  Should he go along?  Was this a trick?  He saw Akiko reaching calmly down for her pokeball.  He ran desperately back to his pokeballs, remembered which one was the one he wanted, attempted to pick it up, lugged it about two feet into the air, and, with all his might, dropped it forward with the words, "I CHOOSE YOU, SHINOBU!"

            _What the _hell_?_ wondered Naru within the dark and stuffy confines of her pokeball.  _He was supposed to pick me or Mutsumi.  But _Shinobu_?  I always knew he was a pervert, but this…  _She tried in vain to beat her way out of her eggshell.

            The pokeball cracked open with a sudden motion, and Shinobu rolled out of it, teary-eyed.

            "Nayuki," Akiko said unhurriedly, "I choose you."  Akiko gave the ball a little toss and a girl with a young-looking face and long deep blue hair fell out of it, fast asleep.

            Shinobu shivered in bewilderment.

            "Nayuki," Yuichi called.  "Nayuki!  Wake up!  Nayuki!"

            "Eh?" Nayuki managed to crack open one of her eyes.  She yawned.  With a little groan, she curled up and rolled over a little more and closed the eye again.

            "Nayuki!"

MINASE Nayuki

Type:  Sleepy

Element:  Snow

A dedicated high school student, loving cousin, and sulky space case, NAYUKI can almost always be counted upon to show up at an appointment within four hours of the scheduled time.

Attacks:  

            Pout

            Lull

            Keropii (sic) Batter

Weakness:

            Yuichi, her cousin

            _Well, I guess it's not _that _unreasonable…  I know Shinobu likes Keitaro, anyway…  _Naru gulped.  _I guess age isn't that relevant to love… but still…  --Why am I worrying about what that pervert does anyway?  Well, I mean, Shinobu…  I just worry about Shinobu…_

            "Sempai [Senior]?" Shinobu asked Keitaro.  "I'm first?"

            "Uh… uh-huh."

            "But…"  _He picked me; shouldn't I be happy?  But for this kind of thing…  I don't know what to make of it!  Should I be proud?  Am I just being a frightened little baby?  I…_  "…why?"

            "Well, you see, Shinobu, Su said I should save the big guns for last…"

            Shinobu stared at Keitaro.  "I see," she accepted as she turned away back in the direction of Nayuki, while only looking down at the snow, her ducts heating up wetly without knowing why.  So that was what Keitaro thought of her?  But it was true, of course…

            "Oh," Nayuki said.  "Shinobu?"

            Shinobu took in a quick breath.  This girl already knew her name?  How?

            "Are you Shinobu?"

            "Eh… yes…"

            "Woww!  Do you know this woman who has… watermelons… and… her name is Mutsumi?"

            "Ah… yes…"

            "Wowww."  Nayuki looked up at the drifting snowflakes reflectively.

            "Are you planning to start the match anytime soon?" Yuichi yawned.  Then, noticing Akiko, he attempted to be a little more polite:  "Oh… I'm sorry… I mean…"

            "Oh, yes.  Thank you, Yuichi," Akiko beamed, raising her hand to her face again.  "Nayuki!  Keropii Batter!"

            "Hm?"  Nayuki looked at the air until it explained things to her.  "Oh, yeah…  Right!"  She smiled and started swinging her fat half-meter-long frog doll with swift randomness through the air as she walked towards Shinobu.

            "Ah… auu…" Shinobu started to back away, completely bewildered.

            "Shinobu!  Harbinger Tears!"

            Shinobu complied to Keitaro's coaching fairly well.  Even so, Nayuki got the best of her as Shinobu got backed into a tree by the girl who, although she had fallen asleep again, was still swinging that frog doll at her; as a result:

            Shinobu has fainted!

            "Hooray!  Good job, Nayuki!" Yuichi cheered.  "Nayuki?  ……  Nayuki!  …  NAYUKI!"

            "Eh?"

            "You won!"

            "Ya… o… han?"  She rubbed her eyes.

            "What are you gaping there for, idiot?" Haruka called down from the upper-story windowsill she was leaning on.

            "Haruka!  What are you doing up there?"

            "Watching your match."

            "…  Why from up there?"

            "Shut up and protect yourself from the enemy pokemon."

            Keitaro gazed up at her.

            "Now."

            "Oh! okay…  Su!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            Nayuki woke up.

            Snowflakes fell lightly.

            "You have to throw the pokeball…" Haruka said, her hands in her face.

            "Oh."  Keitaro threw the pokeball.

            "ME?!!" demanded Su.

            _And now he's trying to seduce Su?  That BASTARD!_  Naru beat on the walls of her pokeball once more.

"Why did you pick ME as the _second_ pokemon to fight?"

            "You… you told me to save the big guns for last…" Keitaro said as he crawled away.

            "Keitaro…"  Su's eyes filled with tears.  "I'll show you."  Su ran into the building.

            "Nayuki," instructed Akiko.  "Keropii Batter."

            "Ow!  Ow!  Ow!"  Keitaro ineffectually tried to shield himself with his hands.  "That thing's heavy!"

            Backing away, he tripped over a rock and thus evaded Su's rocket which proceeded to carry Nayuki through the air on its tip and then blow her to smithereens.

            Nayuki has fainted!

            Yuichi gaped in horror.  Keitaro got up, looked, and did the same.  "I…"

            Akiko looked stern, even on the verge of angry.  "Shiori.  I choose you," she pronounced as she tossed the pokeball back onto the ground.

            A girl with skin so white as to compete with the snow arose from what now seemed an egg.  Her short black hair with made a sharp contrast with her skin and the snow.  Around her shoulders she lightly grasped a checked stole.

MISAKA Shiori

Type:  Quietly amiable

Element:  Snow  
SHIORI may at first seem timid, but, in reality, she's quite open and friendly.

Attacks:

            Helplessness Illusion

            Snowball

            Rock Snowball

Weakness:

            Yuichi

            "Ha, eat laser!" shouted Su, coincidentally, at the same time as Shiori suggested, 

"Let's have a snowball fight!"  By the time Su had lifted the laser cannon and started to pull the trigger, Shiori's snowball landed across Su's laser cannon and Su was electrocuted.

            As Su withered to the ground, she managed to say, "I… told… you you should have saved… the big guns… for last…"  Here she fell down onto her stomach.  Looking and reaching up from the ground:  "If you don't… you lose them… to some low-level creature with… a… cheapo special ability…"

            Su has fainted!

            Keitaro looked down at Su in shock at his own incompetence.  _No.  I'm not going to give up._  He gritted his teeth, then shouted, "KITSUNE!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            Shiori looked up at him quizzically.

            Keitaro picked up Kitsune's pokeball and tossed it.

            "Sake!  Sake!"

            Kitsune skipped up to Shiori and beat her up.

            Shiori has fainted!

            _THAT LECHEROUS LITTLE CRETIN!!_  Naru pushed on the walls.

            "Makoto.  I choose you."

SAWATARI Makoto

Type:  Amnesiac

Element:  None, and you're not going to see any more types or elements; ha

A lively prankster who says her only clue to her past is that she hates Yuichi, which is why she must live with him at the Minases'.  Says "Auu" and gets teary-eyed and cute when distressed.

Attacks:

Smoke Bomb

            Clumsy Punch

            Konnyaku Gelatin

Weaknesses:

            Opportunities to harm Yuichi

            Yuichi

            Makoto got a few punches back at Kitsune, but she was no match for the power of the devil's drink.

            Makoto has fainted!

            "Ha, this is a piece of cake," said Kitsune.  "Sake.  Sake."  She grinned toothily.  "I was all out and now I'm saved; thank you, Haruka…"

            "Mai!  I choose you!"

KAWASUMI Mai

The idea for Motoko is obviously stolen from Mai.

Attacks:

            Slash

            Thrust

            Kitsune has fainted!

            Yuichi and especially Keitaro gasped in horror as Kitsune fell in two mirror-image pieces.

            Yuichi:  "Mai!"

            Keitaro:  "Ki… tsu… ne?"

            But Akiko had only a cold smile.

            At the top of his lungs:  "MOTOKO!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            His lungs quickly filled up again and stayed full as Mai advanced toward him, and he remembered to throw the pokeball.

            _Clangggg._

            After a long and fierce clash of swords, the to-be heiress of the Shinmei School found her match in Mai.

            (Hey.  Now look here.  Mai brags that she's "one who slays phantasms."  Now, Motoko doesn't even claim that's her specialty, but what's Motoko's attack against phantasms?  ZAN MA KEN, NI NO TACHI!! HUGE BLAST OF KI ENERGY!! Ka-POWW!!!  And what does Mai do?  Swish.  Swish.  Against things that for all you know aren't even there!)

            Good point.  Motoko whips Mai down.

            Mai has fainted!

            Motoko hyperventilated.  "Ms. Minase, you have one more pokeball.  What is it that you have left in store for us?"

            "AYU!  I CHOOSE YOU!"

            "By the way, have you noticed that no one's won two rounds running yet?" asked Yuichi.

TSUKIMIYA Ayu

An energetic, extremely childlike, self-righteous taiyaki (fish-shaped, bean-jam-filled pastry) thief who keeps saying she'll pay the stand owner back when she has her wallet.

Attacks:

            Blame

            Unintentional Tackle

            Charm

            Weeping Spell

Strong against:

            Loser fanboys pretending to be Yuichi

Weaknesses:

            Taiyaki

            Yuichi

            The pokeball opened to drop Ayu on her face.  "Uguuu…"  Ayu sat up, rubbed the top of her nose, and sniffled.

            Motoko paused and stared at the petite form.

            Ayu looked up at her sadly.  "Taiyaki."

            Motoko was speechless.

            "Taiyaki.  Yuichi gave me a taiyaki.  That day.  That day, seven years ago."  She sniffled again.  "And then…"

            Ayu's eyes suddenly flickered and seemed to fill with new energy and a sense of intention.

            "Taiyaki!"  She started running at Motoko.  "Taiyaki cart!  Stop!  I have my wallet this time!  I'll pay back for those other times!

            "Ah!"  Ayu's eyes met Motoko's again.  "OUT OF THE WAY!  OUT OF THE WAY!  OUT OF THE WAY!"

            As Ayu ran straight into Motoko, the first thing she hit was Motoko's sword hand, which in overcompensation born of extreme confusion knocked the flat of the blade hard onto Motoko's head as they both fell to the ground.

            Motoko has fainted!

            "Uguu…" Ayu began to lift herself up.  "Now my nose really hurts."  She looked up at Yuichi, bent over, hand extended, and got a nosebleed.  "Uguu…" Ayu groaned in the wet humiliation her eyes provided for.

            "Nah, I'm not going to help you up by a glove covered in blood," said Yuichi, turning away with a smirk.  "I might get AIDS."

            "Uguuu, I don't have anything like that.  You're so mean, Yuichi."

            "I'm sorry," Yuichi laughed, "I'm just kidding you."

            "Why is the sun setting?" wondered Keitaro aloud.

            "Because it's dramatic, moron," replied Haruka from above.

            "So," Yuichi said with a little bow to Keitaro, "good match."

            Keitaro looked back in an amazement that permeated his otherwise empty mind and almost made him want to laugh.  The blue-haired girl was scattered around in bloody pieces behind Yuichi.  Kitsune was in two a little to his left.  That other swordgirl looked like she might still be alive, but that wasn't a sure bet either.  The only eulogy any of them had gotten was a notice that she had fainted.  And here, before the much too early sunset, was some slightly younger boy waiting for him to return his smiling, let's-be-good-sports bow.

            _What was Haruka doing all this time?_

            Yuichi gave one last look at him to bow, then turned away with a resigned sigh and walked to Akiko, who was smiling softly.  "Shall we go home?" he asked, warming again.

            "I suppose we might as well."

            Motoko administered Kitsune's and Mai's funeral rites.  Shiori and Makoto ended up becoming tenants at Hinataso ("Who cares about the past," Makoto decided).  Ayu, realizing that Yuichi forgot about her again, killed herself.

            Fortunately, however, the morning after next, Keitaro remembered where Naru was.  Fortunately for Naru, at least.

            (BUT WHAT ABOUT MUTSUMI?!!)

            She's not in this fic.

            (YES SHE IS!!!)

            Oh, yeah.  That.

End


End file.
